Hyde School Foreign Language Department
2013-2014: Spanish I Syllabus
Charles Escalante
cescalante@hyde.edu
Office: SC25
Phone: (860) 963-4716
Course Description:
In Spanish I, students will be introduced to the Spanish language and culture. In this course, students will learn
the elements of basic conversational Spanish. Emphasis will be on developing proficiency using the present
tense in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course will be conducted as much as possible
in Spanish so that students will become comfortable hearing and using basic forms of the language. Since
interaction using the language is an important element to learning, students will often work with each other and
will be able to get to know each other better by sharing information about themselves in Spanish.
Course Objectives:
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To build foundational Spanish language skills through reading, writing, listening, and conversation
activities.
Be familiar with the concepts and vocabulary required for discussing: greetings, the classroom, family,
hobbies, vacations, shopping, daily routines, foods, and social scenarios;
Be confident speaking the Spanish language;
To begin to understand the culture of all Spanish speaking countries and how it compares to our own.
Essential Questions:
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Why is Spanish an important language to learn today?
How can I bring my learning of the Spanish language outside of the classroom?
How does learning a foreign language help me to learn about the world around me?
How does Spanish/Latin culture relate to U.S. culture and how does it influence our lives?
What do we hope to accomplish by taking on a second language? What might we be able to do with these
new skills?
What impact has the Spanish language had on our culture and society in the U.S?
Texts/Readings:
Descubre: Lengua y cultura del mundo hispánico. Vista; José Blanco, 2008.
*Spanish-English Dictionary
Any additional material will be provided by the teacher or posted on the wiki page
Unit Outline
There are nine chapters in Descubre and the nine chapters will be divided into 3 parts (Fall, Winter and Spring).
Fall Units:
1: Hola, ¿qué tal?
Grammar: Nouns/articles, present tense of ser, hay, telling time.
Vocabulary: Alphabet, numbers 1-30, salutations, school objects.
2: En la clase
Grammar: Present tense of –ar verbs, questions, present tense of estar.
Vocabulary: Numbers 31 and higher, continued school terms.
3: La Familia
Grammar: Descriptive and possessive adjectives, present tense of –er and –ir verbs, present tense of tener and
venir.
Vocabulary: Family, professions.
Winter Units:
4: Los pasatiempos
Grammar: Present tense of ir, stem-changing verbs and verbs with irregular yo forms.
Vocabulary: Pastimes, sports, places in the city.
5: Las vacaciones
Grammar: Estar with conditions and emotions, present progressive, ser and estar, direct object nouns and
pronouns.
Vocabulary: Travel and vacation, months, seasons/weather, ordinal numbers.
6: ¡De compras!
Grammar: Saber and conocer, indirect object pronouns, preterite tense of regular verbs, demonstrative
adjectives and pronouns.
Vocabulary: Clothing/shopping, negotiating/buying, colors, adjectives.
Spring Units:
7: La rutina diaria
Grammar: Reflexive verbs, positive and negative expressions, preterite of ser and ir, verbs like gustar.
Vocabulary: Daily routine, personal hygiene, time expressions.
8: La comida
Grammar: Preterite of stem-changing verbs, double object pronouns, comparisons, superlatives.
Vocabulary: Food, descriptions, meals.
9: La Fiestas
Grammar: Irregular preterits, verbs that change meaning in the preterite, que and cual, pronouns after
prepositions.
Vocabulary: Parties and celebrations, personal relationships, stages of life.
Grading:
Students will be calculated by two separate components: Effort and Achievement. The breakdown is as follows:
Achievement Grade (75% of year grade)
 30% Performance Assessments - may include take-home projects, reports, presentations and exams.
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30% Tests/Quizzes – Quizzes are given weekly and tests are always at the end of every unit.
30% Homework/Class work - Given daily. Students are expected to complete their homework on time
and to the best of their ability in order to achieve in this class.
10% Final exam/project - given at the end of each trimester.
Effort Grade (25% of year grade)
 50% Participation – Students are expected to participate consistently in class, and will receive daily
points based upon their effort level.
 25% Organization- Students are to come prepared to class everyday. Binders will be checked every
two weeks.
 25% Attendance – Students are expected to come to class on time everyday. Students are only allowed
to miss class if it is a family emergency, health issues or games.
Binder Organization:
Students are expected to keep their binders well organized and neat. Binder dividers should be labeled
according to the following break-down:
1. Class notes/Handouts (Apuntes)
2. Homework (Tarea)
3. Vocabulary (Vocabulario)
4. Culture (Cultura)
5. Quizzes and tests ( Exámenes)
Make Up Work:
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It case of an excused absence it is YOUR responsibility to work with the teacher to make up the work.
If a student is present the day before a quiz, test or other assignments but is absent the day of the
assessment, she/he is responsible for the work immediately upon return to class.
If a student is absent on a review day it is YOUR responsibility to get notes from your peers. Also
she/he will still be expected to take the test.